What Shapes The World
by Full Deck
Summary: -Syfy's Alice Miniseries- "Nobody fell over drunk & no calls to the police. I count it as a good day." Until Jack Hart shows up at Hatter's door with Alice's empty jacket.
1. Chapter 1

_So, wow. Been a long time since I posted a story up around these parts. But after watching Syfy's Alice I was inspired._

Disclaimer: Belongs to Syfy Channel & Lewis Carroll

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**What Shapes The World**

**Chapter One**

"_The energy that actually shapes the world springs from emotions." –George Orwell_

"Honey, I'm home!" Hatter still felt a little thrill shiver through him every time he said that, even if it was into an empty den. He flipped his black hat onto the stand just inside the door, barely noticing that his wife's purple coat, the one he had brought back to her, was missing. The light was on and water was running in the kitchen. If Al wasn't home, only one person it could be.

Carol jumped three feet when he slipped up to the sink beside her. "Oh, David, hi. Didn't hear you come in." She chucked a dish towel at him with a small grin.

"Not my fault your hearing's goin'." He picked up a metal bowl she had just finished washing and began to wipe it dry. It had taken Carol Hamilton many days longer to warm up to him than it had taken her daughter, they were still on wonky ground most of the time, but at least she had a sense of humor. "Alice not back yet?"

They both glanced at the cat clock over the sink, 6:30 pm. Alice's class ended at 6. "She probably stopped by the store," Carol said, picking up a pot that looked like she had killed a small animal in it. That was when he noticed the smell of pasta and tomatoes wafting through the kitchen.

"Oh, is that what I think it is?" he asked. Carol made a brilliant noodle casserole, on occasion.

She shoved the now scrubbed pot into his hands. "It'll be done soon. Alice should be home by then. Dry."

The two of them fell into silence. Not the good kind. The thick, heavy kind. A year. He had been sharing a home with the woman for a year now and still he needed his wife here to bridge the gap. He liked Carol, respected Carol and not just because she was Alice's mother. She was always nice to him, always polite. But she knew they were hiding something from her, and it always seemed as though she was waiting. Waiting for the moment when he slipped and she would pounce, proving to her daughter that he was not good enough.

Any minute now she would turn into a dragon and eat him, he was sure of it.

"So," she hesitated, she always seemed to be plotting her next move. Or maybe that was just his lifetime of paranoia. Maybe she had just as difficult a time with him as he did with her. "How was work?"

Work, good. Safe subject, mostly. Except that he managed a pub that served a large clientele of ex-pat denizens of Wonderland. Wonderlandians? Wonderlanders? A few had been debating that, loudly, at the bar the other day. He had to shut it down before they had come to a conclusion. No need scaring off the locals, they bought plenty of pints themselves.

Carol was waiting for an answer. "Work, yeah. Oh, excellent." Hatter could have kicked himself. Could he have sounded any dodgier? "Work was excellent. Nobody fell over drunk and no calls to the police. I count it as a good day." The dishes were done, he reached into a cabinet, pulling out the plates for dinner. "But still early yet."

He barely heard her chuckle over the sound of a knock on the door. A very loud insistent knock. "I wonder who that is," she took the plates from him. "I'll get that, you get the silverware." He heard the plates rattle on the table as he counted out knives, forks, and spoons. Hatter was reaching to get some glasses when he heard a voice he never expected to hear again. He had so hoped he would never hear again.

Moving over to the doorway, Hatter saw a stiff Carol facing Jack Hart. A nagging heaviness settled in the bowels of his stomach. It wasn't just that Jack Hart was standing in his living room with his mother in law. The red suit the King of Wonderland was wearing was dirty, wrinkled and unbuttoned. His platinum hair stuck out in every direction, a bit like Hatter's on a good day. Jack leaned in the doorway, trying to catch his breath. There was a man standing behind the King in about the same condition.

"I don't think you should be here." Carol's voice dripped with something Hatter was thankful she had never directed at him. "Alice is married now, I doubt she wants to see you."

"Married?" Jack shook his head. Then his eyes met Hatter's. Was that relief? "Hatter! Where's Alice? Is she here?"

Carol looked between the two of them, her expression the same one he had seen that first day when he kissed Alice until he couldn't breathe anymore. "You two know each other?"

"What're you doin' here?" Hatter asked, worry making it difficult for him to raise his arms and place the cutlery on the table. The King couldn't be here for Alice. She had made her choice clear before she had left Wonderland. She didn't want Jack anymore. He'd been generous when Hatter had come to him after thirty-four days without her and demanded to be allowed to go to her world. If he remembered right, Jack had chucked down the pen he'd been holding, thrown up his hands and said "About time." Hatter had taken that as the King's blessing.

"I'm serious, Hatter. Where is she?" Jack's voice cracked.

"Why do y'want to know?"

Jack jerked his head back at the suit behind him. Hatter recognized the man who came forward as one of the Queen's minions. She had many in her time, most of whom had sworn allegiance to Jack, but probably for the same reason they had sworn their loyalty to Jack's mother – to keep their heads. Hatter also recognized the coat the man carried in his hands. Purple and heavy and it should be hanging on one of the hooks the men were standing next to, when not worn by Alice. The man held it out to Hatter, who took it trying to put two thoughts together. As much as he didn't like the King, he was not a cruel Joker.

"It was found in Wonderland," Jack said.

Hatter had been punched in the gut before, many times in his life. This was worse. He jerked his phone out of his pocket, punching the button that would connect to her number.

"One of you needs to explain what is going on," Carol said. "Wonderland?"

Alice's phone was ringing.

"You never told her?"

More ringing.

"Wasn't sure how, exactly."

More ringing.

"Tell me what?"

It picked up, and he breathed a sigh. "Hi, you've reached Alice Hatter." Hatter froze, head to foot. The mechanical woman came on giving him instructions even he knew. Everyone knew the damn procedure, why'd they feel the need to remind you every time you made a call? Breathe. He had to remember to breathe. He closed his eyes and took several gulps of air, trying to force whatever was squeezing his throat to relax. He needed to control his voice. "Al, it's Hatter. Jack's here. You need to give me or your mum a call when you get this."

He turned to face the others again, trying to not give in to the panic flooding his body and telling him to begin tearing the world apart to find her. Carol was shifting from foot to foot. She knew as well as he did, if Alice's phone was on, she would answer. Class was over, the phone had rung, it was on, but Alice had not answered.

Hatter glanced down at the limp coat in his hand. "You found this in Wonderland," his voice sounded hollow and far away. "When?"

"We came through as soon as my men found it."

Hatter crossed his arms across his chest, the warmth of the coat pressing against him. "The Looking Glass. How'd she be able to-"

Jack glanced at the floor. "It's guards were found dead one morning, about a week ago. No one's come or gone since, except for us."

"Alice would never-"

"Of course not," Jack was offended Hatter would even accuse him of thinking Alice capable of cold blooded murder.

There weren't many reasons for someone to attack the guards of the Looking Glass. "Where's the ring?"

"Where she placed it, powering the Looking Glass."

"So someone came for Alice." A week ago.

"I was hoping it was a mistake," Jack said.

"Of course it's a mistake," Carol jumped in. Hatter had forgotten she was there. "Alice has only been gone a few hours. Not a week."

Mirror temporal distortion was not his field, Hatter barely understood it. Actually, Hatter didn't understand it at all. Time itself was a screwy thing to him. Five minutes here a day and a half there, sometimes it was the other way around. He and Alice couldn't figure out a way to explain what had happened to her in that hour that was three days. Assuming Carol would have believed them. So Hatter was some guy she met that tried to help her find Jack and then called the police when she fell. They thought it would be for the best. Especially since Wonderland was in the past for both of them.

Until it wasn't.

"Carol, it's complicated," Hatter said, knowing before he finished that he probably should have kept his mouth shut.

Her eyes widened, even while she planted her feet and crossed her arms. The dragon was awake. "Un-complicate it."

He opened his mouth to try to explain, but nothing came out. He had no idea where to start.

Jack placed a hand on her shoulder. "He is not being thick, Mrs. Hamilton. It is a difficult concept for even our most brilliant to understand." He had to give it, Jack was smooth. "I swear I will make sure it is explained to you as soon as we find Alice."

"We have to do that first," Hatter said. "Find Alice."

"I will get her back to you both," Jack said, raising his chin in the air, or more specifically, his nose.

"'Course y'are," Hatter replied. "Because I am comin' with ya." The King was unsurprised.

"So am I," Carol said.

Hatter sighed, trying to ignore the thought of what Alice would do to him if he let her mother run around Wonderland. "Might be best if you stayed here. I mean, what if we are overreacting and she comes here lookin' for us."

Carol's determination only wavered for a second. "You don't believe that, David. You think she is in danger. That's why you don't want me to go."

"No," he insisted, failing miserably. "Yes. Your daughter is goin' to murder me if she finds I've let you come."

Carol gave him a smile. "I don't see the problem."

Hatter couldn't tell if she was joking. "Jack, help me out here." Jack furrowed his brow a bit. He was considering it! "You can't be serious."

"It might not be a bad idea," he said. Wonderland had overthrown one insane monarch for another.

Hatter took the few steps and was right in Jack's face. The King flinched a bit, but stood his ground. "You know, if Alice finds out, it's not just me that'll end up in six feet under."

"Think about it this way, Hatter. Wonderland will be easier to explain, if she sees it. I will make sure she stays out of trouble."

Stays out of trouble? "This is Alice's mother. Remember, the woman who overthrew your mother? Trust me, she didn't get it from her dad."

Jack's chin stiffened. Hatter could almost hear his teeth grinding. "I like to think I deserve my throne."

"My point is, you can't keep her out of trouble any more than I could Alice."

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Carol put a strange emphasis on 'gentlemen', as though it was difficult for her to say. "But this is not your decision. I am going to find my daughter. If you know where she is you will take me to her. It's not up for negotiation."

Hatter tried to hide the grin that wanted to creep onto his face. Crazy as she was, he had to respect her resolve.

"If she gets back," Carol said. "She can call us."

"We don't get good phone reception where we're going," Hatter said. "Or any actually."

Jack turned to the lackey that had come with him. "Number Ten."

The man straightened his back instantly. "Yes, Your M- uh, sir?"

"Wait here until we return. If Alice arrives, return to the Looking Glass and inform us immediately."

Number Ten looked around the apartment, his eyes wide. "Wait. Here? Yes, uh, sir."

"Oh, I'm going to burn down the house," Carol jumped and rushed to the kitchen.

Jack raised an eyebrow, expecting an explanation. "We were cooking dinner. Well, she was."

"Oh, sorry."

Hatter ignored him and grabbed his coat. There were three hats on the stand, he had brought two with him from Wonderland, the third was a birthday present. Black with grey stripes, he popped that one on his head.

"You and Alice are married?" The King sounded…small.

"Yeah, two months now."

"What did you do to convince her?"

Hatter turned to look at him. Jack's expression was blank, but people didn't ask a question like that for no reason. Was Jack was still in love with Alice? She wasn't the kind of girl you forgot after chocolate and cake. Experience had taught him that.

"I asked her to."

Carol returned, her tennis shoes squeaking against the wood floor. She told Number Ten he could have their dinner if he got hungry, to which Hatter groaned. He had been looking forward to that casserole.

"I'll make some more when we get back with Alice," she said. Carol grabbed her coat off the hook and gestured to the still open doorway. "Lead the way."

Jack lead the two of them around the corner to the warehouse where it had all began. It was still derelict. Construction tarps, ladders and tools scattered around, the oysters paid it no mind. Which was the point. It was owned by a guy from Wonderland named Cricker. He kept the locals away as best he could, and people used the mirror stashed inside to visit the folks in Wonderland occasionally. Better than a plane ticket.

The wooden floors creaked underneath them as they tried to keep up with Jack's quick pace. He considered talking to Cricker about the smell, but thought it would be best to leave it. The faint whiff of raw sewage and burning wood probably prevented any funny business from a local teenager trying to impress his girlfriend. Carol covered her nose, her head twisted in every direction she could manage as she tried to take in the dark place they had brought her to.

"This is where they found Alice," she said, her feet halting for just a second long enough for Jack to get just far enough to be out of sight.

Hatter grabbed her arm, pulling her along to catch up. "Yes. Now hurry."

They came around a large pile of construction leftovers to find Jack standing next to the massive mirror that was a portal to the land he had come from. Alice was on the other side of that somewhere.

"What's this?" Carol asked.

Time to give the truth a shot. "See, here's the thing, Carol. Alice is on the other side of that."

Carol's expression soured. Her jaw and fingers twitched. Hatter had the sudden urge to back away slowly. "This is not funny, David."

"My name's not David. It's Hatter. Sort of." Not the time to explain that. "Just Hatter," he said, remembering when Alice had told Charlie something similar. "And last year, your daughter fell through that and into my world. Wonderland. That's where we met."

She threw her hands up, her frustration and disbelief coming out as a growl. "This is ridiculous."

"As difficult as it is to believe, Mrs. Hamilton," Carol's attention snapped to Jack. Hatter stifled a groan. The king's condescending tone was not helping. "It is the truth."

"And I suppose you're in on this, too?" she demanded.

Carol turned away, her steps echoing through the vast room like thunderclaps. Hatter chased after her, pulling her back around before they lost sight. His mother in law was about to eat him, he knew it. Talk fast.

"Carol, I swear to you, this is no joke. Alice is in Wonderland, through there. If you let us, we can prove it." Hatter guided her to face the mirror. Jack hadn't moved since they had caught up. His hands clasped behind his back, waiting for Hatter's move. Tempting as it was to just shove her through the mirror, it seemed…cruel. Besides, she was already on the verge of physical violence. "Uh, Jack, if you wouldn't mind."

The King nodded, stepped up into the frame and then through the mirror's surface with barely a ripple to show he'd passed. Carol's jaw hung open, an odd choking noise came from the back of her throat. For a second Hatter was afraid maybe they'd broken her.

"How did you do that?"

Hatter popped over and hugged the side of the frame, pushing one of his hands through the quicksilver surface. It rippled around his fingers, causing waves across the reflection of the room. His fingers felt nothing but air. He pulled it back and waved at her. "See no harm. This mirror is connected to another mirror in Wonderland. We use it to travel back and forth."

"David, stop this. My daughter is missing. Your wife," the pitch in her voice hurt his ears. "Wonderland is a story in a kid's book."

She needed more proof. Fine. He sighed, wrapped his arm around her shoulders, making sure she was secure. "Don't forget to breathe," and he yanked both of them through the looking glass.

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_I suck at reviewing & therefore feel like an ass to ask for them, but I hope ya'll enjoyed & will be back when the next chapter is up, sometime in the next week._


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, so somehow "within the week" became "two and a half weeks". But I figure if I come to you with a Chapter One revision and two new chapters, you might forgive me. Even if one of them is really short. Well, 1300+ words is really short for me, since the previous chapter is 3300+ and the next one is nearly 4000. I hope they're good words. _

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_**What Shapes the World**

**Chapter 2  
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His hands were shaking so hard Carpenter, once Robert Hamilton, couldn't see the dropper he held. Growling, he placed it back on the table, and gripped his hands together. He shouldn't be here. He had died, his Alice kneeling over him sobbing. He'd gotten to see her one last time, gotten to remember her once more, it had been painful, but peaceful, why couldn't they let him stay dead?

Carpenter sighed, trying to settle the rage burning in his stomach. He glanced over at Alice. They had brought her in the day after they had brought him back holding a knife to her neck. He'd be willing to let them kill him again rather than make more of the horrifying Tea, but not Alice, and they knew that. She had proved too much for them. Three times she had tried to escape and take him with her. His heart swelling with pride at each attempt, even after they were caught. But after the last time it was decided that she would be put into the Fugue State. Now she sat in the corner, her black t-shirt and blue jeans torn and filthy, her hands lightly curled in her lap, her crystal clear eyes staring straight ahead, vacant. That she was not put on the gaming floor to be sucked dry was little consolation.

The door creaked and Carpenter could hear the ringing from the next room. A shiver crawled down his spine that had nothing to do with any chill. It wasn't a meal time, or sleep time, so there was only one reasonable assumption of who had come in. Carpenter did not turn to greet the woman, he used to be the Queen of Hearts head scientist, she was nothing but an underling, even if she did hold the life of his daughter in her hands.

A small woman with strawberry hair hopped on the stool at the end of his workbench, her grin managed to be both pleasing and manic. "Good morning, Carpenter," Two said.

"That's not my name," he said. He couldn't remember how to be Robert Hamilton, too much had happened, he had changed too much. But he didn't want to be Carpenter anymore. Carpenter was someone who had held people captive, drained them of every drop of joy they had, and didn't give a damn about it. He refused to be Carpenter.

"Of course it is," her voice was the kind of cheery he only heard from the insane. "If it wasn't you then you wouldn't be here, but since you are here, you are Carpenter."

Carpenter glanced at the dropper on the table. For a second he thought about jabbing it through one of her brown eyes, but he'd seen her fight hand to hand with Alice. There wasn't half a chance he would make it.

"What do you want?"

She shrugged, like a bored child. "I just came to see what you were up to. Leave you two alone long enough you get into trouble."

Carpenter gripped the edge of the table, hoping it would stop him from leaping across the room to throttle the woman. "I am checking the Excitement for impurities and my daughter is drooling in the corner. Now leave us alone."

Two slipped off the stool and he hoped she was going to skulk off. He should had known better by now. Carpenter forced himself to stay perfectly still when she pressed against his side.

"Sure. When we're done with you. Then you and your daughter can go back to where we found you."

They had found him in the casino, dead. Carpenter prayed she couldn't see him shudder. He had never hoped that Pin would show up before, her business partner was at least sane, for the most part. Two stood up on her toes and smacked a sloppy kiss on his cheek. Carpenter reeled back, shattering a vial of Contentment, dying the sleeve of his dingy coat green. She giggled, then ran off. The guard at the door just shrugged his shoulders, _that's the boss_.

Carpenter ripped the lab coat off, and used it to wipe off Two's kiss. The sleeve was a puke green color now. It wasn't plastic like his old one, if he didn't get the Tea off it would leak through to his clothes underneath. They may provide food and a pallet to sleep on, but fresh clothes seemed to be in short supply for their slaves and commodities. There was a makeshift bathroom in the corner of his lab. He rinsed the Tea off the coat, watching the water wash away most of the slime, trying not to think about how long it had been since he'd had a real shower. Considering they said they'd had him in Stasis for three years, he guessed it had been about that long. The coat made a splat sound when he threw it onto an empty table to dry.

Turning back to his workbench, he wiped up the Contentment as best he could. So it wouldn't contaminate the other Teas. Not that it really mattered, they wouldn't check the Tea for purity themselves. Only he knew what it was supposed to taste like. The different kinds of salty in Bliss and Excitement. The mild sweet of Contentment. Every time he checked the Tea, he felt a fool all over again. Never, not once, did he wonder why it didn't affect him the way it did everyone else. None of the other technicians were allowed to taste the Tea at work. Only he could. It made sense, you couldn't work if you were flying. But he never flew, and he'd never stopped to wonder _why_.

Even if Two and Pin knew what to look for, pure Tea wasn't the goal. Carpenter was beginning to suspect that money wasn't the goal either. Any one of his former assistants could do the job he was doing for these people. Two and Pin weren't the kind to care if the employees were high at work. And if they didn't want to pay, then they certainly could kidnap someone from this side of the mirror. To keep him in Stasis for years then bring him back and kidnap his daughter from the other side of the Looking Glass to control him, there had to be more to it.

By the time he had washed his hands of the Tea that had gotten on them, the door screeched again and lunch had arrived. There were two measly sandwiches, little more than slices of stale bread with limp greens between them. Carpenter hoped that the Oysters in the Gaming Room were being treated better. From everything he heard, they were all they could get. He didn't want to think about what they would do once these people were dried up husks. He fed Alice first, the guard stiff nearby, to make sure he didn't try to bring her around. Alice had fought off the Fugue three times already, and he had to put her back under. It was either that or kill her. Two had made the suggestion that maybe they should have chosen Carol, likely in her confusion his wife would be more susceptible to their threats or at least The Fugue.

The thought of Carol ripped a hole in his stomach. Alice had gotten so big, she had changed so much. What was Carol like now? Did she still drive too fast? Still eat standing up? Still put hot sauce on her pizza? Did she still watch thunderstorms from the front porch? What had his disappearance done to her? What would Alice's? With him gone, Alice would be all she had. He wanted to see his wife so badly he could barely breathe, but failing that he would get their daughter back to her. He just had to figure out how first.


	3. Chapter 3

_Bit of an author's note at the end._

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**What Shapes the World**

**Chapter Three  
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He'd killed her. David had killed her and was dragging her down to hell with him. They were falling down a tunnel, blue and red light swirling around. As if the falling wasn't bad enough, the popping of electricity hurt her ears and the smell of ozone turned her stomach. She was going to throw up. But Carol couldn't be dead, her heart was beating, somewhere up in her feet, the blood rushing from her head.

She didn't remember coming to a stop, but she landed right side up. It wasn't hot, instead there was a definite chill to the air. David was still latched onto her, his weight tipping her forward and then pulling her back as she tried to steady herself. A well of disgust bubbled up. This man had married her daughter. Carol shoved him away from her, feeling satisfaction when he grunted, lost balance and sprawled on the floor. She stepped back, her heart thumped when her foot caught air for longer than she expected.

Stairs, she was on stairs in a long cathedral, complete with stained glass. In front of her was a mirror about the same size as the one she had just been knocked into. Her stomach dropped. No, there was David, picking himself up from where she'd shoved him, his hat still glued to his head, there was Jack standing by revolving doors, and there was her heartbeat. Through, the mirror she'd been pulled through. No, that was insane, people don't fall through mirrors.

"I take it she still didn't believe you," Jack said, his voice echoing in the hall.

It felt so real, Carol's insides quaked. "What-what is going on?"

"You're in Wonderland," Jack said. Had he been that stiff a year ago? This nuts?

"This is crazy," Carol said, her mouth moving without her permission.

"We just fell through a mirror and you still don't believe us?" David's voice cracked.

Carol turned again to face the supposed mirror. It looked like any other, except it appeared to be locked in to a gold pedestal. She touched the surface of it and gasped. Her fingers had slipped through as David's had. It felt like nothing. The mirror was attached to a panel with countless buttons, three of which turned green. A man in a lab coat grabbed her arm, roughly, and pulled her away.

"I would appreciate it if you would not do that," he said, his pale face was blank, but his tone hinted at annoyance.

"Sorry," Carol muttered and stumbled backward. David and Jack both kept wary eyes on her as if she were a rabbit about to skitter off into traffic. Her back fell against the stone wall, knees wobbling. She thought it would be best to sit down. This was wrong. It was a dream, it had to be. She closed her eyes, when she opened them she would be back in that stupid warehouse. Maybe even back in her apartment, waiting for David and Alice to get home. She could still feel the colder air in the room, the hard tile under her rear end. No, not awake yet.

There was some warmth as a body sat down next to her.

"Carol?" David's voice broke her concentration, but she refused to open her eyes until she couldn't feel the room anymore.

"Just a dream," she whispered, praying that if she said it enough it would be true. "Just a dream. I want to wake up now."

A sharp pain raced up her arm from the elbow, Carol jumped and slipped to her side to get away from it. Her arm burned, even as she tried to rub the pain away. "Damn it. David. That hurt."

"Yeah," he replied, using the offending hand to push himself back to his feet. "Now you know it's not a dream." He reached out to help her to stand. "Look, I know this sounds insane, and to be honest, you've not seen any of it yet, but this is no dream. No fairy tale. This is real."

Carol's heart thumped painfully against her ribcage, as she found her feet again. How could this be happening? David was right, she wasn't dreaming. She'd had too many of Robert's return to not know the difference anymore. Her pulse was still there with a light hunger beginning in her gut from the missed dinner, so she definitely wasn't dead. She'd hallucinated _once_ many years ago at a point in her youth she was _never_ going to tell Alice about, but this wasn't like that. But it couldn't be real. Could it?

"Your Majesty!" _Majesty?_

Carol and David turned to see a small group of men and women approaching Jack. They gushed and fawned over the stoic man, who patiently waited for them to take a breath before ordering them to bring a bug. One man scurried off.

"How long was I gone?" Jack demanded.

"Only a few hours," said a short man in a long black robe, with a matching clover on his head.

"Good," Jack waved over to Carol and David. "Come along."

"'Majesty'?" she asked David, as they walked over.

"Yeah, Jack's the king around here," he answered.

Alice had turned away the king? Carol couldn't decide whether to cry or be proud. Jack lead them outside. The rotating doors were cold to the touch, winter was probably in force on the other side. She hoped the coat she'd grabbed would be heavy enough. How was she supposed to know the weather in a land she didn't even know existed before?

Once outside, she had to bury her hands in her pockets. It was plenty cold and the sunlight hurt her eyes through the grey haze. The sidewalk, covered in brittle grass, ended about four feet away from the door, dropping into thin air. There were dozens of people scurrying around, the grass crunching under their feet, none seemed bothered that if they tripped it would likely lead to a very painful death. The clothes they wore came straight out of the 1940's, and Carol couldn't help but admire one woman's purple hat. Then she looked up.

She forgot completely about the cold and the purple hat. When the world looked like it had been spun onto its head, things got forgotten. Carol's stomach slipped into her knees. There was another city looming over them, as if someone had flipped it upside down. She raised her hand to her hair, half expecting it to flop around like she was hanging from her feet. A thick mass of towering skyscrapers formed the central column, from it ran smaller buildings, some along the ground reaching up towards them, and some crawling down. Carol had no idea how they managed to keep the upper city up, she just hoped it was sturdy.

David opened his arms wide. "Welcome to Wonderland." How could he be that cheerful? "Home sweet home."

She just stared at him for a minute, trying to think of something to say. "I thought you were from Bradford."

He dropped his hands with a frown. "Well, we couldn't put 'Wonderland' on my visa, could we?"

Before she could ask how he had a visa in the first place, the "Bug" arrived. It was a car. One that looked like an oversized, metal beetle, with the roof missing. It sat four. It also _hovered_ next to the sidewalk. It was being driven by a young woman in coveralls the same bright red as Jack's suit. The color complemented her pitch black hair and olive skin. She gave each of them a stern look before nodding at Jack.

"Your Majesty," she didn't have an accent.

The black robed man opened the door wide enough for everyone to slide in, Carol and David in the back, Jack next to the driver. He introduced them to Chief Constable Rhodes. David raised a surprised eyebrow. Carol had to admit, the woman didn't look old enough to be chief of anything, let alone police.

"'ello, Roadie," he said.

The woman's scowl deepened. "Hatter."

Jack glanced between them. "You two know each other?"

"I know lots of people, Jack."

Jack's eyes narrowed, clearly displeased with the lack of further information given by either of them. Both ignored him, as Chief Rhodes guided the Bug away from the precarious sidewalks. The winter wind slapped Carol's cheeks and she zipped up her jacket, burying her face in the collar. Her stomach flipped as they were "driven" deeper into the city. The woman at the wheel seemed to know exactly where Jack wanted them to go, but Carol couldn't remember him giving any instructions. Every now and then she saw other Bugs driving other people, but mostly it appeared as though people walked everywhere. There was no mass transit that she could see, it had to take hours to get from one end to the other, maybe days. Carol didn't want to think about getting from the ground to the top without elevators.

"Where are we headin'?" David asked.

"A warehouse by the river," Rhodes replied.

"It's where Alice's coat was found," Jack said.

Carol peered over the side of the Bug, to see the brown ribbon that had to be the river coming closer. There was a buzzing sound and a hand pulled her back by the collar, nearly strangling her. Once seated, her heart settling back in the right place in her chest, did Carol realize just how close she came to losing her head to a passing Bug.

"Please keep arms 'n legs in the vehicle while in motion," David said, still gripping her jacket.

The king and her son-in-law exchanged a look, David's was clearly saying 'I-told-you-so'. Chief Rhodes stared straight ahead, though Carol would put good money that she'd cracked a smile.

David's hand did not stray too far from her as they descended, ready to drag her back from the brink of death again, if necessary. The further down they went the more scarce the life. There wasn't enough sunlight to keep much growing, plants or people. The buildings had seen better days. While not crumbling under age and disuse, they definitely could use a coat of paint, probably some soap and water, too.

The Chief parked them on a bald patch of dirt alongside the river. David hopped out, earning an irate look from the Chief, who was happy to use the door. Jack opened the door for himself and held out a hand to help Carol climb out. Chief Rhodes led them to a building not far from the Bug. The warehouse looked just like any abandoned warehouse from her side of the mirror: enormous, gray, and lonely. The Chief was not bothered by the atmosphere, she pulled open one of the boarded up doors and slipped inside. By the time Carol had followed Jack and David into the building, Chief Rhodes had found the lights. They hung from the ceiling, sputtering, but it was enough to see what they were looking at. If only Carol had any idea what it was.

The floor was raised slightly and covered in small and large black circles. On the platform were long tables scattered around, that looked like card tables, she could have sworn there was even a roulette wheel. It smelled strongly of sweat and the unwashed. There was an undercurrent in the room that felt like there was something slimy crawling on her skin. Carol rubbed her arms, trying to rid herself of it.

David had turned absolutely white, vibrating with what she could only guess was horror. Horror? At gambling? That didn't sound right. David and some of his friends had a poker night. What was it about this place?

"What is this place?" Carol asked.

"It's a Tea manufacturing factory," the Chief said. "My people raided it yesterday."

That sounded a bit extreme for tea.

"Where'd they get the Oysters?" David asked, his voice wavering.

Carol looked at him, he stared straight ahead, his right hand clenched, as if he was just waiting for the right person to knock unconscious. "Oysters? In tea?"

The look he gave her – haunted with a shot of guilt – left a heaviness in her chest. "It's not that kind of tea."

"It appears that some Oysters are unaccounted for," Jack said.

The Chief hopped onto the platform and headed across towards a door on the other side. Carol thought she might have the right idea. Any minute now, David would do something rash. "Come again?" David asked.

"Many of the Oysters chose to remain here," Jack said. "It's been three years for us, Hatter, and I'm afraid we did not keep track of them. It wasn't until a few months ago that we began to receive reports of their disappearances."

The silence from David was thick and long. He just stared at Jack, she could see the debate in his eyes, should he knock the King on his ass?

"Hey! You three coming?"

Carol released a breath she didn't know she was holding. The Chief's call seemed to break up the tension between the two men into manageable parts.

"Yes, Chief Rhodes," Jack said, his eyes not moving from David. "We'll be right there."

Jack, even as King, was still a gentleman, he offered to let Carol go ahead of him. She decided it might be best if there was a buffer between him and her son-in-law. The Chief waited, she looked patient, but Carol could see one of her fingers tapping against her side. They stepped onto the platform, the tiles felt strange under her feet, like they were trying to suck her legs down. If the others felt it, they gave no sign.

The Chief waited for them. "The distillery is down here."

Behind the door were a set of stairs leading underground. The only light in the stairwell came from the gaming room behind them. Carol had to feel her way down the stairs, one step at a time, her hand pressed against the rough concrete of the wall. Though she couldn't reach out and touch it, she knew the other side of the stairwell was nearby, closer than she'd like. Like the wall was weighing down on her shoulders. Neither of the men noticed that her breathing had sped up. It was easy to hide her shaking in the dark.

Finally they reached the bottom and Carol took a lungful of air, immediately wishing she hadn't. The smell in this room was so sweet and strange, she nearly threw up. There was a popping sound nearby, Chief Rhodes was switching on the breakers and lights came up a section at a time. The four foot high metal tubs were the first thing Carol saw, each sitting three feet off the ground, and each distinctly labeled with a different emotion: happy, lust, excitement, confidence. Those were just the ones she could see, there appeared to be several clustered together. Pipes descended from the room above, twisting in an impossible maze under the ceiling, and dripping over the vats.

"I don't understand, what is this place?"

Chief Rhodes looked at Jack, Jack looked at David. David looked at the floor. "See, Carol, the thing is there is a kind of drug here in Wonderland."

Her mind was trying to put together the information they had let slip already. "Tea, made from oysters? Is a drug?" It sounded ridiculous, but the way they refused to answer the question just made her nervous. The only one who would look at her was Chief Rhodes, who remained silent. "David, just tell me."

He took a steadying breath, tightened his jaw and began. "See that room we came through, they put people in that room, make them win. Make them feel good and all sorts of things. Then the emotions are drained off and bottled up. One tiny drop can make people feel…anything. Feelin' blue? Buy a drop of Happy and" – David snapped his fingers – "suddenly takin' that swan dive don't look so good."

That didn't sound too terrible, but from the way her day had been going there was probably a nasty revelation ahead. "I take it, these people, the Oysters, don't volunteer."

David grimaced. "Not as such, no." Carol's stomach rolled. Slavery?

"What he's trying to avoid telling you is that the Oysters are what we call people from your world," Chief Rhodes said. "The people here were kidnapped from the other side of the Looking Glass years ago and used to make Tea, which the former Queen used to keep the people in line. Alice came, destroyed her Casino, started a coup, freed the Oysters. Who then went home, except those that didn't and are now missing. Have I summed it up properly?"

Alice did _what_? When? Carol looked around the room again, its purpose looming in her mind. People, it didn't matter what side of what mirror, were held prisoner and used so other people didn't have to deal with life? When Robert had left, she's had to deal with it. With panic and worry, and a scared, confused ten year old. She'd to go to work and put dinner on the table and pretend that everything would be okay, when all she wanted to do was curl up and die. She would have loved to be able to switch her emotion whenever she wanted, probably could have, every adult on the street knew what Mr. Watts really sold, but she didn't do it. Reality couldn't be made better by pretending it didn't exist.

She remembered the way her feet wanted to stick to the platform, had it been trying to suck out her emotions? Alice!

She latched onto David's jacket. "Alice. Did they do this to Alice?" she demanded.

David put his hand over hers, instead of prying it off, he held on tighter. "No." How could he be so sure? "They went to a lot of trouble to take her. They wouldn't use her for this."

But she'd been here. There was no way Alice would go without a fight. Alice had been there and she fought tooth and nail. What if they had decided that whatever they needed her for wasn't worth the trouble? What if her daughter's jacket had been left there because she didn't need it anymore? Oh, God… She couldn't catch her breath. David's hand was on her shoulder, she shoved him away. This was his fault. Why didn't he protect her? Why couldn't she?

The stairwell and the sticking platform were a blur as she sped away from that room and those people. She bruised her shoulder on the door as she barreled through it into the open air. Carol didn't make it more than ten feet before she was on her knees sucking in as much salty air as she could, begging her lungs to cooperate before she passed out.

The door creaked. David stopped a few feet behind her, just watching her collect herself. She debated whether or not to scoop up some of the dirt under her hands and throw it in his face.

"She's okay, Carol," he said.

"You can't know that, David."

"I can. I have to." She sat back on her heels and turned to look at him. He's face unreadable, but almost as pale as the shirt he'd worn to work that morning. His eyes gave him away. "I don't know what I'll do if she's not."

This man had given up his whole world to be with Alice. He had stepped through a strange mirror into a strange land with strange people and strange rules, for Alice, and she had wanted to drown him in the river nearby for not being there to save her. Alice was a fighter, she always saved herself. David was right, they had to believe she was okay. She was fighting. Alice would escape, the least they could do was meet her halfway.

Carol got back to her feet and clapped the dust off her hands. "Okay, so what now?"

David pointed back towards the warehouse. "Roadie says this place was almost cleaned out when they got here, but they managed to grab a couple of the slower lackeys. Haven't gotten anythin' out of them yet. But maybe they can tell us where to next."

She looked back over the hulking building, Jack and Chief Rhodes were still inside. "I don't think I can go back in there, David."

"S'ok," he replied. "I don't think there's any more to find in there anyway. By the way, people'll look at you funny you keep callin' me David. It's Hatter here."

Carol managed a weak grin. "Look at _me_ funny, or at you?"

"Do I seem the type to worry over funny looks?" Whatever he read on her face made him frown. "Don't answer that."

Jack and the Chief appeared at the door just then, Carol headed to the Bug, unable to handle the concern in Jack's glance. Her feet, shuffling through the dirt, kicked up something small and silver. She picked it up and very nearly dropped it again. It couldn't be… The watch was heavy for its size, the once shiny surface dulled under the coating of dust. It's face was stuck on 3:13 March 23rd, but it never kept good time anyway. Carol's mind spun as she turned it over, scraping the dirt off the back, just enough to read the R.H. inscribed in the back. She remember this watch, remembered getting it inscribed. It was impossible. How could this be here? '_The people here were kidnapped from the other side of the Looking Glass years ago and used to make Tea…'_ Her hands shook. Robert.

David stared at the watch, his jaw hanging slightly, Jack stiffer than usual. Rhodes was just confused. "What is it?"

"It's my husband watch," she said, the corners of the face digging into her palm. "Robert Hamilton. He was… he disappeared eleven years ago. March 23rd." Carol showed Rhodes where the date was stopped. "He was here."

David and Jack did not look surprised at all by this information.

"You didn't even tell her that much?" Jack demanded.

"Wasn't sure how exactly," David replied.

Carol's heart stopped, "Wasn't sure how to what exactly? Tell me that my husband was alive in some fairy tale land?" David barely managed to meet her eyes, the regret in them sucked out the air in her lungs she had managed to win back. Alice's first word when she'd woken up in the hospital, the day Jack had disappeared and before David had shown up. _"He's gone" "Who's gone?" "Dad."_ Carol had thought it was just a bad dream, but Alice had been trying to tell her.

Her grief bubbled in the back of her throat, making her voice waver and crack. "He's not alive, is he? He's dead."

David looked away. "He died. To save Alice."

Carol's knees stopped holding her up, her side slammed into the back of the Bug. Someone caught her before she smashed her head on something. Oh, right. David. Both Jack and Rhodes were behind him suddenly, Rhodes handing her a canteen. The shock of the cold water running down her throat made the gray tunnel in her vision fade away. She could feel her heart in her chest again, it was ripping down the center. For years she'd believed he was dead, told herself that that was why he never came home that night. But believing it and knowing it were two different things. Now she knew. Robert wasn't coming back.

"Come on," David said leading her around to the door of the Bug. "There's nothin' more here."

* * *

_So two new chapters, I hope it was worth the wait. This chapter was originally supposed to be the second, but I was having such a hard time with it I ended up working on Chapter three, which is now chapter two. _

_I also did some fiddling with Chapter One, replaced all those symbols, that I told myself to change at least ten times, with the appropriate word. Sorry about that, I'm used to typing in short hand for work. Plus, there were a few sentences that bugged me and I had to change. But in the end, if you don't go back and reread it, you won't miss anything. Let me know if I missed anything in this, there's only so many times you can read something without glossing over half of it. I probably need a beta...  
_


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